Gerrard captained Benitez’s team to Champions League glory in 2005 in that famous night in Istanbul, but never had a particularly close relationship with the Spanish manager.

In his autobiography, which is being serialised by the Daily Mail, the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder wrote: "I don't think Rafa Benitez liked me as a person. I'm not sure why, but that's the feeling I got from him. It probably started even before he spoke to me, when he met my mum."

He explained that the first time Benitez met his mother the Spaniard seemed blunt, unfriendly and asked her bizarre questions such as whether Gerrard was only interested in money.

"I used to think he favoured our Spanish speakers. He was an especially big fan of South American players, which is fine. It caused no problem between us.

"At press conferences he might call other players by their first name but I was always 'Gerrard'. It was the same in the dressing room. He would read out the team and use nicknames. But, for me, it would just be 'Gerrard'."